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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 354
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In Memory |
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of |
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William Lewis Miller |
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WHEREAS, Lance Corporal William Lewis Miller of Pearland, |
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who died during combat duty in Iraq on November 15, 2004, at the |
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age of 22, served his country with valor and earned the profound |
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appreciation of every American; and |
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WHEREAS, From the time he was very young, Billy Miller |
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wanted to join the military; he enlisted in the Marines the |
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summer before his senior year at Pearland High School, and in |
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June of 2001, three weeks after receiving his diploma, he left |
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for basic training; and |
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WHEREAS, His first overseas tour of duty lasted nearly two |
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years and took him to United States Naval Station Rota, in Spain, |
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where he was attached to a Fleet Anti-Terrorist Security Team; |
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before he left Rota he had already earned a reputation as a "salt |
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dog," the Marine term of respect for someone who is highly |
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proficient at his job; and |
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WHEREAS, In March of 2004, Corporal Miller transferred to |
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Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine |
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Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force; he deployed in June of |
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2004 to Iraq, where he made the ultimate sacrifice while leading |
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a mission in Fallujah, in Al Anbar province; and |
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WHEREAS, Endowed with an exuberant spirit, an |
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irrepressible smile, and an affectionate, generous heart, |
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Corporal Miller infused the world around him with laughter and |
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joy; he wanted to attend college after returning to civilian |
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life and, characteristically, planned to study psychology or |
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psychiatry so that he could help others; a gifted athlete who |
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played Little League baseball and idolized Nolan Ryan, he also |
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loved fishing and hunting and spending time with his sister's |
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children; and |
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WHEREAS, In the midst of an arduous struggle, Corporal |
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Miller always sought to be on point, the man in front, and |
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he carried out his duties with unfailing dedication and |
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professionalism; the Marine Corps values of honor, courage, |
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and commitment have had no finer champion, and all who knew |
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and treasured this young Texan will forever remember him with |
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infinite love and gratitude; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, |
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80th Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Lance Corporal William Lewis Miller and extend sincere |
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sympathy to the members of his family: his parents, |
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Susie and Lewis Miller; his sister, Sabrina Blankenship, |
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and her husband, Joe; his half sister, Lisa Miller Story, |
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and her husband, Ken; his grandmother, Gloria H. Bailey; |
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and his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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his family, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so |
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in memory of Lance Corporal William Lewis Miller. |
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Jackson |
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Deuell |
Janek |
Van de Putte |
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Gallegos |
Seliger |
Zaffirini |
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Dewhurst, President of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on February 28, 2007, |
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by a rising vote. |
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________________________________ |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |